


A New Beginning

by whoeverdares



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-24 01:59:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17091986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoeverdares/pseuds/whoeverdares
Summary: It’s a miracle that Astra hears Alex’s voice in that moment. There is a green sword between them, and a knife on Astra’s hand, but the motion stops the second Alex yells the wordsAstra, wait!Against all odds, the General does wait.





	A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mack_Northsea](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mack_Northsea).



> This one is super cheesy, sorry in advance! The first part is a bit angsty, but the end is pure fluff so, 100% happiness guaranteed ✓
> 
> Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy this :D

It’s a miracle that Astra hears Alex’s voice in that moment. There is a green sword between them and a knife on Astra’s hand, but the motion stops the second Alex yells the words _Astra, wait!_

Against all odds, the General does wait.

J’onn seems too exhausted to realize how lucky he is, but he understands Alex’s attempted distraction and phases through Astra’s hold to a distant point in the rooftop. In a blink, there is just the two of them again, alone, like they were three minutes ago before J’onn’s intervention, or like the previous day at Kara’s apartment.

It’s just the two of them and the Kryptonite sword.

When Astra turns around, exhaustion and resignation is all Alex can read in her eyes. There is no trace of the menacing General that attacked her moments ago, just a defeated stance, the wind blowing her hair, the cold turning her eyes even brighter than usual.

Astra’s attention drifts from Alex to the sword she wields. She observes the green blade threatening her and Alex holds the weapon even tighter, not knowing what’s coming next. She only hopes that she doesn’t have to use it tonight, not against Kara’s family.

Before the General could even move, she insists one more time, “It’s over. Please, give it up.”

“It’s too late now,” Astra answers, suddenly aware of J’onn’s presence behind Alex. She’s still holding her knife when Alex decides to take a step closer.

“No, it’s not.” Gesturing J’onn to let her handle this, and retreating from her offensive position, Alex throws the sword away from Astra. “Kara believes in you,” she tries, watching as Astra’s features soften at the mention of her niece’s name. “She knows you helped us to get her back from the Black Mercy. Now help _her_ end this.”

Astra falters again as she exhales in relief, Alex can see it in the way her shoulders relax down. She is not close to surrender, though. The General is far from offering her hands to be cuffed and reclosed, or to willingly cooperate with the organization that tortured her, but Astra is having second thoughts and Alex can work with that.

“You don’t deserve to lose each other again,” she finishes.

Their eyes lock once again, burning this time, because it sounds like a low blow, too cruel to be said but also so true. There is this brief moment of defiance where Alex’s words compel Astra to make a choice, to be brave. At this point, cowardice and bravery are not about running away or facing the war in front of them. It all reduces to embrace or not the possibility of a second chance.

As soon as the knife slips from Astra’s grip, hitting the ground, Alex knows she succeeded. Astra is not naïve. Alex’s words are just that, words, and even though they sound like a hopeful promise, there is a long way to go before they can materialize into something more than wishful thinking.

A small nod is everything Alex receives in return for her hurtful-yet-true affirmation. There are no words to be heard when the wind blows again and Astra disappears in the black sky.

~

For the last fourteen days, the situation regarding Astra’s army has been getting worse and worse. National City has been under attack and the pattern of those attacks are clearly related to whatever Astra was doing on the rooftop that night.

As result, the whole digital and computing network is nearly collapsed. Lord Technologies’ LTE infrastructure was the main target, which means 70% of the citizens are practically isolated. Mobile signal is constantly going in an out for the other thirty, and TV networks have to rely on analog broadcasting to reach their audience in what qualifies as a desperate last resort. People in the streets consider this an apocalyptic scenario for the highly developed modern life.

In the middle of all of this, the DEO is only cleaning the mess once the destruction is over. They reach the crime scene too late each time, containing the few aliens they find there, unconscious and restrained, almost like a wrapped gift for them and Supergirl.

It is all Astra’s doing, Alex has no doubt. The General seems to be betraying her own soldiers, and turning communication towers into piles of molten steel seems to be a necessary part of that betrayal. In this context, Alex can’t do much. She tries interrogating the prisoners with the hope they confirm her theory but the answers are scarce, just like she predicts.

The DEO has nothing, until they trace a Fort-Rozz escapee that deserted Astra’s army at the beginning of all this mess. He tells them about a heated discussion between Astra and Non, and their decision to split up their paths. Astra gave her people the opportunity to leave without consequences, in contraposition to Non, who commanded an offensive against her wife and whoever stood by her side.

Astra is not betraying her people after all. Instead, she’s taking a clear stance with regard to a failed negotiation. A failed negotiation that leave her against her husband and without her niece.

The deserter fails to explain what’s the point of bringing National City back to the 80’s, but he mentions the name _Myriad_. It’s only when Kara returns from the latest disaster zone that they can connect the dots.

Kara is desperate after a brief meeting with her aunt. She says Astra explained the true nature of Myriad and told her what measures they may take to remain safe from its effects if the program ever comes online. “She’s fighting against them alone, Alex,” Kara adds in a brittle voice, and suddenly everything is way worse than Alex imagined.

It is worse because thanks to this new information they discovered Myriad could mean the enslaving of the entire human species. It is worse because it means the fight is not over yet and therefore Non is still having a huge advantage, otherwise Astra would have never told them about this program. It is worse because Astra is not accepting their help, not even Kara’s help. She’s going through it all alone, perhaps in a sense of duty or to protect what’s left of her family or both, but she’s ending this on her own terms.

Alex understands, though. There is nothing she wouldn’t do to keep her sister safe when faced with the possibility of Kara getting hurt. That is something she can relate to, a strength or an Achilles heel, depending on how she sees it. Fighting an impossible war alone is a losing game at this point. But Alex understands this too. She understands the need to mend the mistakes drawn by her own hands, even if it takes a high toll, even if it’s not enough, and oh, she sure knows sometimes everything is not enough. But she always takes responsibility for her acts.

And Astra is taking responsibility for hers.

~

This radio silence means one of two things. Whether Astra and Non reached an agreement amidst the chaos they started, or their sides have faced the final battle in an unnoticed way to the rest of the world.

While the city returns to normal, J’onn incarcerates the last of Non’s soldiers and dismisses the agents after a 24 hours shift work. He sends them home with their families since the alert state has changed, but stays at the headquarters monitoring the skies. As for Alex, she only longs for a good night’s sleep.

She is on her bike, ready for some take-out and beer, when her phone buzzes in her pocket. The signal is too weak but she gets to answer Kara’s call after stopping at the side of the street.

“Alex, please, I need your help, you need to come here now!”

“Kara, what- where are you?” She asks, worries growing up in her mind.

“My place, please hurry up-”

“Okay, calm down, I’m on my way. Hello?” Alex checks her phone after a long wait and the signal is lost. It only takes her 6 minutes - 5 less than usual - to cross the city, take the elevator, and run to Kara’s door.

When she gets there, of course, Alex doesn’t need to knock. Kara opens the door somewhat harder than necessary, then hurries Alex to enter. She first notices the windows hanging from broken hinges, the glass spread all over the hardwood, and some blood stains on the floor. As they walk to Kara’s bedroom, Alex predicts the picture even before she sees it.

It’s Astra.

She lays on the bed, resting on her stomach, with her head turned to the right side and a hand near the pillow. She looks so pale; Alex instantly presumes the worst. If it weren’t for the rapid, shallow breathing she would be right.

Kneeling by the side of the bed, Alex checks Astra’s vitals. Her pulse is going too fast even for a Kryptonian, her forehead is covered in sweat and dust, some scratches are visible. “What happened?” she asks. “How did she get here?”

“I-I don’t know,” Kara stammers, shaking her head and shrugging. Her eyes are wide open and filled with tears. “She crashed through the window, she’s been unconscious all this time. I called you right after that, Alex, I didn’t know what else to do.” She falls beside Alex and points at the marred fabric on the back of Astra’s suit. “She’s not healing, Alex, they must have used Kryptonite.”

Hurried by her sister’s words, Alex explores the wound in Astra’s back. It is still open and Alex can feel the shards of Kryptonite lodged too deep to extract them. With every heartbeat, a greenish glow pulses through the nearest veins, spreading the venom even further. Astra doesn't have too much time left.

“Okay, listen,” Alex starts, looking at Kara in the eyes and taking a firm hold of her forearms, “we have to take her to the DEO, but she needs to be stabilized first.” Kara nods fervently although Alex perceives a hint of insecurity at the sole mention of the DEO.

She doesn’t blame her sister. Astra’s history with their organization is far from a fairy tale, and with General Lane hovering around the headquarters from time to time, even Alex doubts this is the best decision. But Astra’s life is hanging by a thread so Alex needs to act now and think later.

“Go to my apartment, there’s a first aid kit under my bed,” she indicates. “I’m gonna isolate the Kryptonite, then we’ll be able to move her. Go!” She ends the sentence and Kara goes flying out through the broken window, the air blowing Astra’s brown curls and covering her face.

As Alex pulls gently the hair away from Astra’s face, a thousand possibilities cross through her mind. She wonders absently if this is a threat… Has Non finally been able to get rid of his biggest opponent and now he is coming after Kara? Is Myriad operational after all?

She shoves her phone out of her pocket and looks for J’onn’s contact number. Hopefully, he’s awake and ready to send an emergency team and the supplies necessary to keep Astra alive. She’s about to hit the green icon when a trembling hand grabs her wrist lightly.

Astra’s face contorts in pain but Alex recognizes that the movement is more a reflex than a conscious act. Her lips start trembling as she mumbles something in Kryptonian. _Little one_. And these words hit Alex’s chest with superhuman strength.

Astra’s pale figure is not the one of an opponent, at least not now. Alone in this bedroom, carrying the weight of her own war on her shoulders, Astra is not the enemy.

Alex could never see her like that again. She responds with a firm hold as she sees the General dozing off again, her face relaxing but her breathing still uneven.

The noisy train of thoughts, the one speculating about what happened and its consequences, Alex can't hear it anymore. Her fears have a new focus now and only one thing remains consistent while she takes in the image before her.

“C’mon, Kara. Hurry up.”

~

Watching Kara laughing is one of the best things in the world. Alex laughs too because it's game night and their team is winning and the cup of wine on her hand is the third of the night. And even though she's not a light weight, she feels her spirit unusually happy tonight.

They finally can have some peace. Supergirl can have a break, the DEO can focus on their routine missions and paperwork, and National City is thriving again. They have a lot to drink for.

Alex smiles as she sips some wine, and her eyes catch a curious Astra looming over the bowl of chips in the kitchen.

Alex smiles again.

It’s been two months since she found Astra lying unconscious in Kara’s bed, in this same apartment. After locking Non down at Fort-Rozz, the General had found her way to her niece, quite literally. When she finally woke up at the DEO, it had felt like the beginning of something new. The beginning of this.

Having Astra as a regular member of their reunions and game nights is definitely something new. She fits in on a completely different way, and yet, the fact that she’s here only because she is Kara’s aunt is so obvious. She really doesn’t have anything in common with Winn, but they talk about Kryptonian technology, analyzing new ways to adapt alien artifacts into renewable energy generators. James seems a very welcome interlocutor when it comes to social issues and the state of the new alien amnesty act. Astra and him differ in several points, but they both agree on the fact that humans and aliens have a long way ahead before reaching social harmony. When it comes to Lucy, Astra is the reason of most of her headaches. There’s nothing simple on representing a former criminal that chose to collaborate with humanity leaving behind all that destruction. But Astra does her best and listen to the legal advices Lucy gives her, after all.

This transition wasn’t easy, though. J’onn is still a bit skeptical, and to be fair Alex was too, for some time. She learned to see beyond Astra’s façade thanks to Kara, and gradually that wariness became respect, and that respect became understanding.

She understands Astra’s desperation, the forced decision to rely on extreme methods to save her people. She understands failure and the temptation to make things right when there is a second chance. And for Astra, crash-landing on Earth was definitely that, a second chance. This planet and the way humans treat it… Alex even understands why Astra’s faith in people slipped away so quickly that she tried to implement the same methods she had tried to implement on Krypton.

And even when things haven’t changed between mortals, even when humans keep reveling in ignorance, greed, and consumerism, she sees Astra’s efforts to adapt to this hateful world.

Becoming a member of this society is still a work in progress. The endless discussions with Kara are proof of that.

There is not much to do for a former General without an army, and such directionless path translates in misunderstandings and destructive criticism. Humans are hard to get. And even more when Astra decides she's done with trying to understand them. That’s when Kara intercedes. Most of the times, they’re at opposite sides between cynicism and naivety, and Alex is the witness of the worst exchanges. Kara has hope but Astra is experienced so they naturally disagree, more often than not. They say a lot of things, some them more hurtful than intended, but at the end of the day they always mend their differences, because bonds are stronger, and love keeps them together, in the present and in their shared connection to the past.

They have already lost too much to part their ways for a simple discrepancy.

It feels right to look them smile tonight.

As Kara picks the last paper in the hat and prepares to mimic the character, Astra slips quietly to the bedroom. Her absence doesn’t go unnoticed by Alex, who’s filling up her cup with a little more of wine. The game ends too quickly because “Kevin McCallister” is the easiest person to figure out given the famous facial expression, so she takes the chance and follows Astra.

“Needed some fresh air?” she says, as she sees the other woman standing by the window.

Astra turns to acknowledge her and smiles, and then turns again to look at the sky. “I like the night at this hour. It's quiet, even here.”

“Yeah. I liked it too when everyone else was sleeping,” Alex agrees, getting closer and joining Astra in her improvised stargazing. “I used to live here before the DEO. It’s not like I hate my apartment, but I really miss this place sometimes. I guess I would enjoy it now more than I did when I was younger.”

“Would you pour a glass and watch through the window every night?” Astra asks, referencing their current situation.

“Oh, I did that a lot and it wasn’t good,” Alex says. “I don’t know, it’s just… I guess it's the view.”

“I had my reservations at the beginning, but living here is not unpleasant.” Alex takes a sip while Astra continues. “All I wanted was being able to be with my niece. If I need more silence or scape from humans, all I have to do is coming here and fly in that direction.” Astra points to the west, to Kara’s secret spot. A place between the mountains in the desert where the stars are brighter and bigger, and nature is the only sound to be heard.

At this, Alex decides to play. “So that’s what you were trying to do when I got here, uh? Running away from your niece’s noisy friends and sister?”

“You know I am faster than the thirteen steps you took to come here, right?”

Alex hides the big smile behind another sip although she knows Astra already noticed. These last words came out so flirty that Alex wonders if Astra is conscious of the way they could be interpreted. For a second, Alex allows the warm thought to nest in her mind. And body. Or is it the wine causing an unexpected effect?

The new flowers Astra put in the window are perfect for this season. The summer breeze fills every room with their scent, something between sweet and citric, and a bit of that unknown perfume that she can’t quite decipher yet.

They possess such an unique essence.

Any similarity with the woman standing next to her is mere coincidence.

“Have you tried the rum J’onn sent?” Alex asks after a while. “He couldn’t come over but he thought it would be nice to give you and Kara a gift.”

“That is a curious choice, I don’t enjoy your alcoholic beverages.”

“But what if I tell you he sent Aldebaran rum?”

Astra looks at her, surprised. “How?”

“He found a place, an alien bar,” Alex explains. She alters her stance, resting her weight on one leg to face Astra as she keeps talking. “We were looking for someone in particular and it turned out she’s the bartender.” Astra listens, curious and attentive. It sure is a novelty for someone who's been walking on Earth for the last 13 years that a bar like that exists. “It’s a safe place for aliens, we didn’t even know about it until the other day. I told Kara earlier and now she’s excited to go, you know her. I think it could be interesting if you go too,” Alex suggest. “You can take a drink, have some fun, meet new people.”

Astra takes in Alex’s words but a part of her doesn’t seem convinced. “I presume your director wouldn’t be happy to have me around this safe place.”

“Look. He sent the rum for the two of you, Kara and you,” Alex reassures. “You should see it as an olive branch, maybe?” She says the next sentence softly, not wanting to hurt Astra. Not wanting to bring memories of lost worlds and families. “He is trying too, believe it or not J’onn and you have a lot more in common than you imagine.”

“A military career doesn’t make us similar,” Astra retorts.

“I wasn’t talking about it.” The clarification does exactly the opposite Alex intends. She can see Astra’s realization when the other woman knits her brows and glances at the ground. “I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“Do not apologize.” The retort is not really one. The answer is firm but it’s not tainted with anger. It is more a reassurance than anything else. “Perhaps you have a point, about the Martian... and about the bar,” Astra concedes.

“The way I see it, it could be a good place to talk to someone you share interests with, a good company. J’onn says everyone’s very welcoming so...”

The silence falls between them. Astra seems to be considering this new information. Alex, by her side, sips the last of her wine and distracts herself with the view of the clouds slowly covering the stars.

“Would you come with me?” Astra asks, out of the nowhere.

“Huh?”

“I could go alone, but you mentioned a good company and I thought...”

“Oh.” And Alex freezes on the spot. “ _Oh_.”

“Only if you want to, of course.”

“Yes! I mean-” she mumbles and clears her throat. “Yes. That would be awesome. I’ll go with you, yeah.”

“Excellent.” The smile on Astra’s face is brighter than ever.

In a futile attempt to hide an unexplainable panic, Alex returns a nervous smile and gestures a _cheers_ with her empty cup. She knows she will remember and mortify herself forever for that ridiculous answer. For now, the mere idea of Astra’s invitation is enough to make her heart flutter quicker than she likes to admit.

~

“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Astra?”

“Kara told me to announce myself first. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

 “It’s okay, umm, don’t worry. Come in.”

Astra always chooses the window. For some reason, she rarely knocks the door.

It’s 1 AM in the morning, but far from having a break, Alex is reading files and looking for connections between victims. This is the kind of cases that keep her awake at night.

The urge to take measures as soon as possible to prevent new casualties is taking a toll on her eating habits too so, when Astra hands her the brown paper bag she brings for her, Alex swears she could kiss her.

At least she has this delicious reward.

Alex invites Astra to take a sit. The place is a mess, boxes and blood samples have their own space at the other end of the table. She tries to tidy up the papers, not wanting for Astra to see the disarray, but it’s a little bit too late. The former General, now co-owner of the alien bar, sees the pictures anyway. Specifically, one of them.

“I heard about this the other day at the bar,” she says, putting a finger over the photo of a young man, a Starhavenite. “He was a regular costumer. I didn’t know him very well, but M’gann said he had two little kids.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” That is everything Alex can say. She’s sorry because she has literally nothing to work with. Nothing else to say.

J’onn’s interrogations at the bar were futile. There are no clues about who is doing this, or evidence of why; they just have three bodies, three different mortal substances, and an unknown subject killing aliens on the streets of National City. And they were supposed to protect them.

So much for a super-secret agency protecting alien and human lives.

Astra takes a sit next to Alex, curiously peering the other files and photos. “What do _you_ think?” she inquires.

Alex hesitates. This case is confidential and Astra is a former criminal. Not a year ago, she was fighting against the DEO, they were on opposite sides, they were enemies. The past has been already written, and she is all of that, but Astra is also a General with knowledge about lethal weapons. She knows other Fort-Rozz escapees and she has connections with other aliens in her community. If someone knows something, Astra could find them. She is definitely an asset.

And most important, Astra is Kara’s family. Astra is a… Alex doesn’t think any word really applies to their relationship, but she knows her. She trusts Astra. And since she's in danger too, Astra also deserves to know.

So Alex speaks.

“I think someone is testing a new weapon.” She points at the files that contain the formula of the substance, and then at the pictures of the other two victims. Astra takes the first file and examines the composition. “They have nothing in common, really, they’re not even from the same species,” Alex explains. “The composition of the substance we found on their blood is slightly different on each case, but the result is always the same. It kills them instantly.”

“Do you think these species are the final targets?” Astra asks, but she already knows the answer.

“Not really.” Alex sighs. “I think they’re adjusting the formula, making it more adaptable. The last one,” she slides a print of the primary structure of the third drug they found, “it has been improved. It is highly compatible with a number of other substances.” She pauses. “Kryptonite is one of them.”

Astra’s face doesn’t transform, perhaps because she had the feeling Alex would say something like this.

“Does Kara know about this?”

“Of course,” Alex replies.

Astra observes the formula. She seems to recognize something when she places the paper on the table.

“This substance, I don’t think a human is behind this,” she says.

“J’onn suspects the same, the venom is from alien origins, that’s for sure.”

“If Kara is in danger…” Astra weights her possibilities silently. Her gaze comes up and she speaks with conviction. “I will start my own research-”

“There’s no need, Astra,” Alex cuts her. She can’t think of a scenario where Astra is going by herself again, not when she can help her. “I know what you think about the DEO, I don't wanna change that, but you need to trust me. We can work on this together.”

Astra smirks and looks at her as if what she said was some kind of obviousness. Like she already trusts Alex the same way Alex trusts her.

“So, wanna share the potstickers?” Alex asks, peering into the brown paper bag and trying to make the situation more pleasant. “We have a long night ahead.”

“I have never tried those.”

“Of course not,” Alex snorts, “you’re living with Kara.”

~

It is not flirting so much as caring. Of course there is a good amount of both, and for that Alex is grateful. Shared coffees, gentle reminders to go to sleep soon, buying each other’s favorite snacks. At some point in their story, bonding over Kara turned into the two of them spending more time together, and then asking each other for a second opinion, and then getting along without Kara when she couldn’t come for movie nights and pizza.

It is a partnership, if they have to put a name to it. But then again, it is something else.

These shared moments turned into brushed hands as they double check a map, hidden glances between reunions, and not-so-shy half-smiles when no one else is watching. The constant longing of not knowing who is going to take the first step into a new beginning.

Alex can live with that. She is okay with these little things spicing up her routine, day and night, until everything goes to hell and a mission almost fails. ‘Almost fails’ meaning that she ends up at the DEO’s infirmary, recovering from the injuries she receives on the field.

The day before, they had reached a warehouse in the north side of the city thanks to a lead Astra got using her position at the bar. The place was guarded by a K’hund, an Infernian, and other human soldiers. Alex and Astra would take them down, creating a diversion, since the real bosses were negotiating the price of their new anti-Kryptonian weapon in an office at the back of the building. Kara and J’onn would take care of them from the west side.

It was a dangerous mission but they were prepared. Once they got inside, the situation went out of control.

Alex managed to reduce two human soldiers guarding the entrance, and she hurried to take her position. She took down the Infernian first and then aimed loosely at the K’hund, desperate to stop him. In a heartbeat, she knew that movement was not her wisest decision. The bullet hit slightly to the left, Alex missed the shot, and the K’hund stopped punishing Astra to stomp in her direction.

She left the snipper rifle and draw her gun. Aiming at the lower body was easy but her bullets were not really hurting him. The next thing she knew was that the big alien took a massive block of concrete and threw it at her. Out of instinct, she covered her head and closed her eyes at the imminent impact. It was only when the loud noise ceased that she felt the strong arms holding her, and the powerful body shielding her from the debris. Everything shattered. There were pieces of rock everywhere, and though Astra absorbed the majority of the impact, the dust was making the air too dense to breath.

The boots of the other DEO agents pounded around Alex as she tried to catch her breath again. The visibility improved when the dust dissipated a little, but her eyes started to shut involuntarily.

So she passed out.

And she woke up in the back of the SUV the same way she drifted off. In Astra’s arms.

~

The week after that goes too fast. December festivities and all, the winter shows its face, even in National City.

On Christmas night, Astra requests something strange. Whether it is a wish or a favor, Alex agrees to go with her, so instead of drinking hot chocolate at Kara’s while they watch a cheesy movie, they’re flying to a small town in Washington, ice skates packed in Alex’s gym bag.

The natural ice-skating rink is particularly empty. Alex can't even remember when was the last time she tried this… probably when Kara and her where teenagers, and they had a brief family vacation at Eliza mother’s house.

It is a matter of motor memory after all, it can’t be that hard after all these years. Right?

According to Astra, she has only done this once before. Argo City wasn’t characteristically cold so, the citizens could only practice something similar to human ice skating in the region of The Jewel Mountains. There, the crystals had a lower density and it wasn’t rare to find vast plains similar to this frozen lake. Astra remembers Alura and Kara, and she looks so vulnerable when the snow reflects the sun in her eyes. Of course, Alex saves that thought for herself while she ties her skates. She only smiles and extends a hand to help Astra stand up.

The ice feels really smooth. After the first lap, Alex starts to be suspicious of Astra’s so called inexperience. The woman moves like she’s been practicing this sport for years. She's graceful and delicate, and she even adventures some tricks that Alex could never dream of doing without breaking a leg. She’s so stunning when she does it that it’s getting harder for Alex to keep muting her thoughts.

They change places. Alex is the one that looks like a beginner when she tries to gain some speed and catches a crack in the ice. She stumbles until Astra stops her. Their faces are merely inches away, in an outdoor ice rink, on what it feels like a date. It is to be expected that Alex eyes can’t help the urge to drift momentarily to Astra’s lips.

Oh well, there it goes her last attempt at hiding her thoughts.

“What are you thinking?” Astra prompts after a long silence, still holding Alex in her arms.

Alex breathes and bites her lip. “I think we need to get going.”

“Is it too cold for you?” Astra worries, pulling her a bit closer. Her voice sounds so sweet, embellished by the steam that comes out of her mouth as she speaks.

“Nah.” _Quite the opposite_ , Alex thinks. “It’s just-”

They stare at each other. Alex doesn’t finish the sentence. They’re so close that she only has to bring up her hands to cup Astra’s face and kiss her on the lips. It means to be gentle, but ends up in devout passion. She kisses her so fervently that her whole body curves into Astra. Her fingers run lightly down Astra’s neck and she ranks a hand through Alex’s hair, getting a good handful to pull her closer. A soft moan escapes Alex’s mouth, pleasantly surprised by this action, and they both pull away, needing to get some air. Foreheads touching, eyes still closed, the ice shifts and cracks the silence along with their breaths.

“I have to say,” Astra murmurs so close to Alex’s lips, “the reason I brought you to this place... I have been wanting to do this for a long time.”

“Why didn’t you just do it?”

“I suppose I needed to be a hundred percent sure that you wanted too.”

Alex frowns at the confession, but smiles and kisses Astra’s doubts away. “I’m pretty sure I just made it clear that I want this too.”

~

Alex doesn’t believe in miracles, so that’s not the first thought when she wakes up in the middle of night. However, there is something about the statistical probability of getting the chance to open her eyes and see this image that makes her believe that, perhaps, she shouldn’t be so skeptical.

She can’t say she didn’t picture this scene before. The figure of Astra’s sleeping profile so close beside her, a hand loosely sprawled over her stomach like reclaiming a price. It all feels so familiar, and yet, it captivates her senses in a whole new level.

Under the dim light that comes from the street, Alex remembers that reality differs a bit from those sequences she played on her mind over and over, when she was alone in her bed. Contrary to the exciting roughness on Alex's imagination, Astra is a caring lover. She follows Alex’s rhythm and touches her with devoted caresses. Her lips follow Alex’s jawline and neck, and they get lose all over her body, almost praising. Astra clings to Alex when Alex clings to her, the whole action is more than a heated urgency but it doesn't taste like it until Astra’s tears join them in the kiss. Astra conjures her native language against Alex’s parted lips as she comes, and suddenly these memories seem more explicit to Alex than what they did last night.

Suddenly words sound more explicit, specially three words, that appear on Alex’s mind as she watches Astra sleep. She will say them out loud one day, of that Alex is sure. But as enticing and promising the future seems, she refuses to let go the fact that now, in the present, Astra is by her side.

**Author's Note:**

> A very loose interpretation of the prompt “Miracle” where everything goes well and they all have a happy ending, and if you take into consideration that this is the SG universe, I think that’s kind of a miracle already.
> 
> Happy Holidays, folks! :)


End file.
